It takes more than a key to open a door, little girl. You have to know where the lock is too.
— Chapter 13

‘Eat, first. Finish your dinner. Then you can start making the world’s most sought after potion, okay, honey?’
I grin; my parents’ excitement is almost matching my own.
‘But, Sam – if you ever potion your grandfather again, you will be grounded for life, got it?’
I’m not going to argue with that.
— Chapter 19

To be completely honest with you I’ll have to confess that chemistry was among the first subjects in school that I gladly got rid of as soon as possible. Not because I didn’t find it fascinating to learn about all the parts that combine to make up other stuff, but because my teacher was incredibly uninspired (and in constant danger of putting us all to permanent sleep). This book is the complete opposite of sleep-inducing chemistry. Yes, there is the aspect of alchemy and mixing ingredients, yet there is also adventure, a fantastic treasure hunt, love, friendship, and not to forget the touch of crime/mystery. A really great and captivating mix. And in perfect timing on my part, the second book is already out (coming out 18th October if you’re in the US).

Which subject did you ditch in school as soon as possible? And have you since found a book reminding you of said subject and enjoyed it? Share thoughts and teasers in the comments!

“Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.”
Brekker’s lips quirked. “I’ll just hire Matthias’ ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.”
“My ghost won’t associate with your ghost,” Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.
— Chapter 15

Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha universe is one of the most fascinating fantasy worlds that I’ve had the honour to be allowed to visit on my reading adventures and now being allowed back is one of the best gifts I never knew to ask for. (Obviously, as I waited until the second book is almost out ... or was that tactic because I just knew there would be that really mean cliffhanger at the end ... let’s go with that explanation.)
Multiple points of few can easily grow tedious or even confusing yet this story is so much richer for them. The characters are so very different from each other yet also closely connected in their aims. And even though one gets to spend quite some time in their heads they remain mysterious enough to surprise and confound you. Just when you think you have puzzled out a motivation for one action you can almost be sure to be taken for a spin. Yet it always makes sense what the characters are doing as they act true to themselves.
Don’t get me wrong they are all dark figures in the night I’d rather not meet, but at the same time I can’t help but care for all of them. Good thing they’re fictional, because feeling affection for six criminals of their calibre would certainly get me locked up otherwise.
Highly recommended if you enjoyed Leigh Bardugo’s first series and want to return to the Grisha world though you don’t have to have read them to understand this one. Also recommended if Ocean’s Eleven ranks among your favourite movies thrown in with a little Inception or Now You See Me.

There are movie rumours surrounding almost every YA book these days and I can see the appeal for this one as it is already quite cinematic yet at the same time I think that the nuances of the internal observations would get lost in the process and actually deduct from the overall story. Do you have books you feel ambiguous about getting a movie treatment? Share your opinions and teasers in the comments!

My grandfather used to say that everyone alive has already beaten the craziest odds, just being born. Like one in a trillion. Your parents could have had a million different kids, but they had you. And before that could happen, your parents had to be born themselves, and their parents had to be born.
— Part 2

People act like riddles are hard, but real life is harder. In real life, there are always more than two doors.
I guess I know what I’m going to do.
— Part 3

Here’s a cute feel-good book at first glance that turned out pack quite an emotional punch looking back at it. Not in the sense, that it made me ugly cry, but rather that I find myself still thinking about it. The quick summary sounds almost dull: The plot covers a few months of the lives of three eight grade girls, one boy, and one other initially not defined person. But yikes, if the characters don’t have an interesting few months! High School looms and they don’t yet know, who they are or who they’re going to be or whom they might like. Maybe. Or maybe not. And in addition there are family incidents and other growing up navigating problems.
One very special feature of this book is the narrative style. The arc of the three girls is shown in third person with one of the girls as focal point, then there is the letter format for the boy (which are surprisingly plot advancing), and the mysterious person is narrated in second person (which took me some getting used to, but then it became an act of pride for me to find out who this you sitting in a café is). Very cleverly executed and while it sounds pretentious if not over-ambitious to write three narrative perspectives this book seriously profited from this method. Kudos to Rebecca Stead for that feat!

Do you have a book in mind that is narrated in second person? Share them and your teasers in the comments.

I definitely hate myself.
But I’m going to fix this—all of it.
I have a plan.
— Chapter 1

Change is in the air—I can feel it as clearly as I can hear the brave melodies of the untainted drafts slipping through the cracks of Raiden’s supposedly impenetrable fortress.
A hum building to a crescendo.
The wind starting to rise.
— Chapter 2

Final book in the Sky Fall trilogy where I’ll admit to not being blown away (forgive the pun) by the second book. It was nice enough and held my interest until the end so that I’m now reading the last book, but the first was infinitely better. I’m not too far into the third book right now, but the beginning is very promising and it seems that the language melody I loved so much in book one and missed in book two is back. Even if all alarms are ringing at the notion of the main guy character fixing all of it by having a plan.

Are there any phrases a main character in a book has to say to make you simultaneously roll your eyes and anticipate a worthwhile book? Share your trigger sentences and teasers in the comments.

This sequel showed up on my reader and I was starting to believe in the book magic fairy before I remembered that I pre-ordered it almost immediately after I finished the first book ... or rather: my account reminded me. I’d have preferred the fairy, but I’m still very glad about the existence of this book. In the interest of full disclosure: It took me a while to get back into the story, especially since it starts right back in the middle of things with the stakes higher than ever before and the light at the end of the tunnel more likely than not an oncoming train rather than a true source of hope. And so far, this sounds like the standard procedure for a second-in-a-trilogy-book. And this book is all that but it is also so much more. The writing is truly beautiful and can at the same time convey so much humour as well as be truly captivating, emotional, and intense.
I still have a few chapters left to go and I’m very curious where this is going. I have (of course) a few hopes and fears ... it can’t be sunshine and rainbows, because second book and all that, but maybe I won’t need the anxiety blanket for this? Right, whom am I kidding? As long as the “Cry Here When A Fictional Character Dies” pillow can stay out of it.

When you really enjoy a first book, do you immediately order the sequel (if possible), do you pre-order it at some later point, or do you wait for it to publish? Share your method and teasers in the comments.